Imagining Reality
by The Devils Song
Summary: This morning reality was simple. It was reality. But talking bunnies, handsome wolves and evil overlords don't mix for a normal day, especially when you are the one who 'created' them. I'm starting think reality is all in my head. Maybe it always was.
1. Daydream Believer

Chapter 1  
>Daydream Believer <p>

* * *

><p>Cheer up, Sleepy Jean<br>Oh, what can it mean  
>To a daydream believer<br>And a homecoming queen 

Daydream Believer - Monkees 

* * *

><p>"Mikan, what are you doing?"<p>

"I'm writing," I called out, pausing my iPod. "Why?"

Grandpa shuffled into my room, smiling warmly at me. "No reason. But don't you think you should take a break? You've been writing all day. I'm sure your little world can live without you for an hour, Mikan."

"Sorry, Grandpa," I said, getting up and walking into the living room with him. "I guess I just lost track of time."

Grandpa pat my shoulder, even though he was shorter than me. "It's perfectly alright, dear. Just make sure you don't spend all your time daydreaming, okay? Real life does exist."

I laughed. "Will do," I said, mock-saluting him. Grandpa walked into the kitchen, leaving me to do whatever. "Grandpa, can I go out?" I asked as he moved back to my side.

"Where?"

"The national park," I said. "I want to see the new Spring flowers on the flower walk."

Grandpa smiled. "Okay, Mikan. Just be back before dark."

"I will!" 

* * *

><p>It was dark and I was lost.<p>

"Goddamnit!" I yelled. "Who the hell gets lost in a _national park_?" I slapped my forehead. "Idiot." The huge trees surrounding the rocky dirt path loomed above me, their branches dotted with pale flowers. I continued following the path in the direction I may have gone in when I heard a noise behind me.

"Hello?" I called, turning around slowly. "I'm lost. Can you come out of hiding and show me where to go?" Another rustling noise. "I know you're there!" I said. God, I hope I'm not talking to a passing bunny.

A bunny it was.

From the bush to my left emerged a small white bunny, it's ears twitching. "Yup. I'm officially an idiot." Sighing, I kneeled down in front of the bunny. "Hey, bunny. You know the way out?"

"Yes."

I gasped and jumped up, taking two steps back. "I'm crazy. Bunnies don't talk. Of course, Ruka talks but he isn't real and-"

"I'm real."

Fear struck my heart. Fear and anger. This had to be somebodys sick joke! Bunnies didn't talk and Ruka wasn't a real person. It just wasn't right.

"Okay," I said, "whoever's pathetic prank this is, give it up. I don't know how you know about Ruka but this isn't funny!"

The bunny sat at my feet. "It isn't a joke." A bright light began to pulse from within the animal. It grew brighter and I shielded my eyes. This couldn't be real. Ruka was made up and would never be real. This was a dream, an illusion, a prank - anything but reality.

The light faded and I removed my arm. In front of me was a tall boy with blonde hair and gentle blue eyes. His clothes were pure white and upon his head were two white ears.

_Bunny _ears.

I screamed, stumbling backwards and falling on my butt. "No. No. This isn't possible and any minute now I'm going to wake up. You're nothing more than a fictional character I made up. You don't exist. You're a daydream. An idea. You're not real. You can't be!" Disbelief and desperation were etched deeply into my voice. I was now not only an idiot, but a nutjob as well. Just _great_.

He shook his head, his expression growing concerned. "I knew you'd react like this. I'm real. You created me and you put so much effort and love into creating me that I became reality."

"No, I didn't!" I screamed. "You can't be real. If you're real than so is Thados and Hotaru and Natsume."

"They are," he whispered. "And I need to bring you with me back to Thados." He held out a hand to help me up but I stubbornly continued sitting there.

"I don't know who you are and I don't want anything to do with your sick joke. Leave. Now."

He sighed. "You do know who I am. You know more about me than even I do. I am Ruka Nogi and I am _your _creation."

"Whatever," I mumbled, standing up without his help. "If you're really Ruka then prove it."

The imposter smiled. "Every night before going to bed you'll look at the book in which you created me and say, 'Good night.'"

I gaped. "Y-You really are Ruka?"

"Yes," he said. "And Thados is in trouble. Hotaru is out of control and only you can stop her."

I shook my head. "No. Your problems are your problems. Leave me out of it."

"Please," he pleaded, grabbing my hand and dropping to his knees. "We need you. You're our last hope."

"Grandpa needs me," I replied. "And Grandpa is reality."

"We'll send our best guards to protect him while your gone."

I took my hand from his grasp and turned around, rubbing my arms to fight the sudden cold that surrounded me. I was confused. Just this morning Ruka was part of my imagination, a loveable character I enjoyed writing about. My own imaginary friend. Now he was real and wanted me to go to Thados?

"Okay," I decided, unease filling me. "But if anything happens to Grandpa, Thados can rot in Hell."

"I understand," he said, smiling and getting up. Ruka enveloped my hand in his. "Close your eyes."

I hesitated before doing what he said, surrendering my sight to the darkness. "Now," I heard his voice, "imagine Thados. Anyplace in Thados."

My head was filled with images of all places in Thados, but one stuck out most. The place where Ruka first appears. The large green hills and the tiny cottage he resided in. The thatched roof and the flowers placed randomly around it. Animals would often pass by, including many of his rabbit friends.

A loud whooshing sound resounded in my ears and I felt a strong wind blowing my hair around me. But then the sensation was gone and Ruka told me to open my eyes.

When I did open my eyes, I saw the quaint cottage from my imagination. "Welcome to Thados," said Ruka.

He led me into the cottage and to the kitchen where he began brewing some tea. The kitchen was small, with only the essentials in it. The floor was made of dark timber and the walls covered with dull yellow wallpaper. There was no decoration except a plaque that said, _All in a days work._

"Here," said Ruka, handing me some tea. "It's honey. Come sit," he suggested, leading me to a small table with only two wooden chairs across from each other.

"What am I supposed to do?" I asked, frustrated. This wasn't my planet, couldn't they fix this themselves? "How can _I_ possibly reign in Hotaru's power?"

"Because you're her Creater," Ruka said. "A Creater has power over everything they create, but it may take a while to train those powers. Since you have lived so long without knowing about us, Hotaru has gone mad with power. Most people here do not even believe that you exist."

"Then why did you believe?" I asked, sipping my tea. It was sweet, my favourite kind. The glint in Ruka's eyes told me he knew that.

Ruka smiled, placing his hand over mine. "Because I could hear you. The people with closer bonds to their Creater can hear their voices."

"This is too much," I said, shaking my head. "I still don't fully believe you."

"That's okay," he laughed. "It has to be a hard thing to adjust to."

I shook my head at him, pulling my hand away. "You have _no _idea. I'm just shocked that I'm not currently hyperventilating." Tucking some hair behind my ear, I sighed. "What do I do first?"

He smiled, a bright shine in his eyes. "This is the fun part." 

* * *

><p>AN: I'm back! After putting Inspiration on hiatus, I decided it was time for another multi-chaptered story. I got the idea for this from the movie Sharkboy And Lavagirl. It just kinda popped up. And don't worry, Natsume will appear soon.

DISCLAIMED: I do not own Gakuen Alice, Daydream Believer or any other copyright material mentioned.

Review please. Good or bad. Kickstart this story off well, okay?


	2. Animal I Have Become

Chapter 2  
>Animal I Have Become <p>

* * *

><p>No one will ever change this animal I have become<br>Help me believe  
>It's not the real me<br>Somebody help me tame this animal I have become

Animal I Have Become - Three Days Grace 

* * *

><p>Focus. Focus. <em>Focus. <em>Focus, Goddamnit!

The light exploded in my palm and I sighed, slumping to the ground. "Ruka, send me home. I'm a useless Creater." Ruka shook his head, scurrying over to sit beside me on the hill behind his cottage.

"That's not true. Your just new at this. It's only been a day!" I stared at him.

"How good are the other Creaters?"

Ruka sighed and scratched his thigh nervously. "They've known about their worlds since they were first created. You can't compare yourself to them."

"Then why didn't you tell me about this when _you _were created?" I yelled exasperatedly, throwing my hands into the air. "It would have saved us all this bullshit."

"Because I know you wouldn't have wanted this," he said quietly. "When I was created you were just getting into life. You had your first boyfriend, you were going out with friends and writing millions of stories. I couldn't disturb your wonderful life with our problems, not until it was necessary."

"Oh," I murmured. "Thank you. There was no way this would have disturbed my pathetic life, but thank you for thinking of me."

Ruka smiled. "I'll always be on your side." He stood up and held a hand out to me. "Now, let's practise?" 

* * *

><p>I woke to the sound of howling.<p>

The deep, guttural sound made my eyes snap open almost instantly. As Ruka's cottage was small, I slept in his room while he took the couch. I initially protested this - it was his house, after all. But tiredness won out. So, when I woke up so fast in his tiny bed, I fell out of bed with the sheets awkwardly wrapped around me.

"Che!" I said, picking up the habit I had of cursing in different languages. The sheets fought but eventually surrendered my feet back to me.

The benumbing cold had turned my limbs stiff overnight and I had a hard time walking to the closet to get my coat. When I finally managed to cover my bare arms and legs, another clamor tore through the night. I shivered involuntarily and hugged my coat closer to me.

I couldn't remember creating wolves in this region. It was either Hotaru's will was turning the creatures dark, or the wolves were hunting.

Taking a tentative step closer to the towering woods, I noticed a shadow pass through the trees. I took another step forward, and then another. Faster and faster I advanced on the shadow, confidence flowing through my veins. My pace was now a sprint as I tried to cath up the fleeing figure.

"Stop!" I called, reaching a useless hand out. Strangely enough, the figure did as I said and I skidded to an abrupt stop behind it. I scrunched my eyebrows at it's back. "Who are you?" I strided toward the front of the animal and gasped at it's eyes.

It's crimson eyes.

The wolf snarled slightly and began shining, the same way Ruka did when he changed. But with Ruka, the change was an experiance of light and happiness. With this creature, it was an experiance of darkness and despair. It sucked all of the warmth I'd gained from my body. When it had turned into a full human, I felt my heart sink.

"Natsume," I whispered.

Another character I had created, though not one I could ever see myself getting along with. He stood tall and proud against the night sky, his pale arms clasped behind his strong back. His black hair lifted slightly as a breeze passed, allowing me to see the expression in his eyes more clearly.

Natsume didn't look happy to see me, either.

He cocked his head to the side. "Creater," he murmured. "She was right. You are back."

"She?" I questioned. "Hotaru?"

Instead of answering my question, he pointed behind me. "Go back to Ruka before I do something we will both regret."

I frowned at him and crossed my arms. "No. Not until you answer my question!"

Natsume growled at me and took a step forwards. I refused to step back and glared up at him. "You should learn, little girl, that I am not to be toyed with. Neither is Hotaru. You should save yourself."

"Look, dog," I snarled, poking a finger into his muscular chest. "This is _my_ world. I am _your_ Creator. Not the other way around." I began taking steps closer to him as he backed away, a strange force pushing him back. "Without me, you wouldn't even exist. _I'm _not to be toyed with and if you want to go on living, then you'll shut up and follow my command." A red glow illuminted from my chest and over to him, pushing him down onto his knees. "Understand?"

Natsume growled. "You should not have powers yet!"

"Well bad luck, buddy, 'cause I _do_." I didn't even know how I was doing this. And at the moment, I didn't really care as long as it helped the situation. "Answer my question: are you or are you not under Hotaru's command?"

"I am under nobody's command." He glared at me but I refused to cower.

"Then how do you have information from her?"

An evil smirk lit his face. "You are not the only one with powers."

He broke away from the glow and rose to his feet, flinging his hands out toward me. Without even touching me a cut formed on my forearm, cutting through my clothes. The cut was followed by two others, making the shape of a claw mark. A stinging pain formed and I cried out, clutching a hand to the cuts to get rid of the pain.

"Do not place your power over me, _princess_," he sneered haughtily. "That is my mark. You will be surprised to find out what it can do."

He walked away and as he got further the pain started to subside. I lifted up my torn sleeve only to find that instead of three deep cuts, I was left with three pink, jagged lines, raised from the skin.

"Watch what you create, _princess_. Some may be vicious," his voice taunted me from across the breeze.

That's when the howling started. 

* * *

><p>AN: Ah, an update after so long! I'm pleasantly surprised I got it up before Christmas. Since there definately won't be an update until 2012, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Thanks to these people:

EverydayMuffins  
>ejo<br>Princess Mei Mikan  
>Aquamarine Lacus<p>

DISCLAIMED: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any copyrighted material mentioned.

Review please. Good or bad. THINK OF THE CHILDREN!


End file.
